What is "person"?
In grammar, person refers to the nouns and pronouns that show who or what the sentence is about.
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When I am speaking of me, I use the first-person singular.
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When I am speaking to you, I use the second person.
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When I am speaking of him or her, I use the third-person singular.
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When I am speaking to them, I use the first person singular to address the third person plural.
We turn our attention to the first-person plural.
Generally, when I am talking about myself, I use the first-person singular.
There are specific reasons a person might use the first-person plural to refer to only one individual.
- The "royal we," or the pluralis majestatis.
- The editorial "we."
- The authorial "we."
- The annoying "we."
If Suede is talking about himself, isn't that the first person?
It is reasonable to ask, "If Suede is talking about himself, isn't that the first person?"
The answer is simple: No, it isn't. It is third person.
Here's how to tell:
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The first person is limited to pronouns (e.g., I, We, me, us).
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Anything that doesn't fit in this category must be second person or third person.
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All nouns, even proper nouns, such as Suede's own name, are third person.
You can check to see which person you are using by looking at the verb. If you replace the first person with the third person, or vice versa, you will see that the verb changes, like so:
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I study grammar (first person pronoun and first person verb).
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Suede studies grammar (proper noun with third person verb).
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He studies grammar (third person pronoun and third person verb).
What about the second person?
It is rare to see the second person, you, used throughout a piece of writing, but there are a few exceptions.
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When providing written instructions about a process.
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The 1984 novel Bright Lights, Big City by Jay McInerny was both criticized and praised for being written in the second person.
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However, if you find yourself distracted by the second person in a piece of writing, it is likely that the writer has accidentally used the second person when the first or third person is correct.
When should I use the first person? When should I use the third person?
Another reasonable question is "How do I know which person I should use in my writing?"
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Sometimes the purpose of the writing will dictate which person should be used. You will know when you first start writing. Simply take a look at what you've written and check which pronouns you've used. For most communication, trust yourself that you've used the correct person.
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Sometimes, an instructor will indicate which person should be used.
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Sometimes, the field or industry has a particular style. For example, it is common to see scientific research reports written in the third person. One explanation for this is that the third person moves the focus of the writing from the I to the actual results of the research.
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It can feel clunky and unnatural to write in the third person, because it is clunky and unnatural. We are used to speaking of ourselves in the first person--which is why Suede's use of the third person is so notable. We humans share our thoughts, our ideas, and our experiences, and the first person is the natural choice when doing that.
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If you are required to use the third person, know that it has a long history. You can improve your comfort level and your skill in writing by purposefully identifying the person in the reading you are doing throughout the day. Once you spot something written in the third person, take the time to read it carefully to see how the writer achieved--or failed to achieve--success.